Civil dispute includes threats to kill neighbor’s 3 dogs

RACINE, WI — A reported civil dispute June 13 that included threatening to kill three dogs led to a pair of felony charges filed against a 22-year-old Racine man.

Marcus Hamilton remains in custody in the Racine County Jail on a $10,000 cash bond. Hamilton is charged with felony counts of throwing/discharging bodily fluids at a public safety worker and strangulation/suffocation, which carry a maximum potential prison term of 19 years, six months and a $20,000 fine.

Hamilton, who also is charged with misdemeanor counts of battery and disorderly conduct, is due back in Racine County Circuit Court on Aug. 1, for an 8:30 a.m. status conference.

Both the strangulation/suffocation and the battery charge also carry a domestic abuse enhancer.

Civil dispute includes threats to shoot and kill neighbor’s dogs

According to the criminal complaint:

Racine Police officers were dispatched to a residence in the 900 block of Walnut Street for a civil dispute.

The caller stated the defendant, was “going ballistic having a dispute with the neighbors threatening to shoot his dogs.”

The caller stated that Hamilton had been drinking and was refusing to let his girlfriend and their children leave.

Upon arrival, officers attempted to ask Hamilton several times what had happened, but he continued to be irate. The defendant stated that he and his neighbors across the street were in a verbal dispute about the dogs.

At one point, Hamilton attempted to grab one of the officer’s firearm and then another’s belt, which led police to restrain his arms behind his back. Hamilton then spit on one of the officer’s left arm, the complaint states.

Police spoke to Hamilton’s girlfriend and observed fresh wounds, including lacerations to her lips, a small laceration to the left of her nose and irritation around the front of her neck. Police also observed dried blood around the woman’s mouth.

The woman stated that she and Hamilton had begun drinking alcohol around 3 p.m. that day, and Hamilton became “aggravated, then became irate and started screaming at the neighbors,” about what allegedly had been said earlier in the day.

When the woman tried to calm him down, he allegedly punched her in the face with a closed first three to four times, then grabbed her with one hand, pinned her on the wall and started to choke her. The victim stated she could not breath and also advised that Hamilton shoved her a few times.

The woman stated she tried to leave, but Hamilton wouldn’t let her, so she locked herself in the bathroom with her children, the complaint states.

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